Digital and Technical Services
2002-2003 Annual Report
Submitted by Tyler Walters
Associate Director, Digital and Technical Services
I.
Summary Remarks
The year began with active searches for the positions of Associate Director, Digital and
Technical Services, and Digital Initiatives Manager. They were filled in December with Tyler
Walters, Associate Director, and in January with Catherine Jannik, Digital Initiatives Manager.
From February 2003 through July 2003, the Division undertook a strategic review process. This
process reviewed major trends in learning at Georgia Tech, technology developments, and the
library’s path forward as a research information center managing licensed electronic information
resources and the campus’ born-digital intellectual output. The result was a strategic plan
designed to map the direction of the Digital and Technical Services Division over the next three
years, FY 04 – FY 06. The Plan’s first major theme is to recognize and adjust the Library’s DTS
Divisional role according to changes in the aforementioned areas.
Other major themes were identified through our planning process. Because of the
Library’s digital agenda, the Division will increasingly interact directly with campus customers.
Changes for some of the Division’s departments include: Digital Initiatives (i.e. gathering faculty
research content, creating workflows and establishing technology standards with them); ICM
(i.e. providing metadata services directly to campus units); Information Procurement (i.e. a
participant in determining the management of rights to digital objects generated by the campus);
Archives (i.e. interfacing with campus units in implementing electronic records management);
and Systems (i.e. offering Web services to campus units and working collaboratively with OIT,
GT portal designers, and instructional technologists). We will begin to see more teamwork in the
Division, with less emphasis on “department-confined” work. Project management in a crossdepartmental, cross-divisional way will become an increasingly significant approach to our work.
DTS skill sets are changing. Physical processing of library materials is giving way to managing
e-resources, and the higher level skills and independent judgment required to manage them.
Changes in the economic and technological structure of scholarly communications, the rise of
digital institutional repositories, new educational technologies, and wireless technologies are all
having a large impact on the work of Digital and Technical Services. Learning more about them
will inform the design of our work to best meet our customers’ needs.
Systems Departmental Review: A review of the department led to its reorganization into work
groups: Desktop support / helpdesk; ILS management; Networking; E-resource and database
technical support; and Web services. After further review of System’s management needs, we
consolidated the Programming and Networking area into the Systems Dept., to ensure that
programming and networking and other systems planning and decision-making were being
carried out within the same framework. Early feedback indicates this has been a very successful
merger and I thank Larry Hansard and Susan Coleman for making it work so well. The new
position of Server Administrator will be sought in FY 04, in an effort to keep building mid-career
expertise in essential systems management areas and to free up Larry Hansard for important
new applications development and new hardware/software-related initiatives.
Digital Initiatives Planning and Development: Additional planning was undertaken for the brand
new Digital Initiatives Dept. A strategic plan was finished by the Digital Initiatives Manager and
myself. Additional resources were gained for the department: the transfer of Susan Parham
from IPST to become our Technical Operations Coordinator was planned and took place at the
beginning of FY 04. The Tech Temp position responsible for scanning library materials was
further articulated, described, and made into the permanent position of Digital Projects
Specialist. In one year’s time Digital Initiatives has gone from 0 dedicated FTE to 3 dedicated,
professional exempt FTE. This is quite an accomplishment. Considerable progress has been
made in articulating the needs and use of an institutional repository at Georgia Tech as well,
with the intent on unveiling it in early 2004.
Information Procurement: Two new positions have been gained here. A vacant position was
completely revamped and made into the Head, Information Procurement Dept. There are now
three librarians in the department. Another library assistant III position has been gained via the
IPST integration in the area of serials and e-resources management. This should help the
department in the critical areas of serials and e-resources management.
ICM: A catalog librarian position was filled by the hire of Patty Phipps, a welcome addition to the
seasoned crew in this department. ICM also is being reorganized into work groups, with staff
participating in many of them: metadata, e-resources, government documents and maps, print,
and maintenance. In this way, librarians and staff will continue to learn and gain exposure,
ranging from the traditional cataloging areas to the newer areas where we need to gain
experience and understanding.
Archives: Successful planning has led to an important understanding that records management
(RM) and archives operations will be managed daily from within this one department. Archival
and RM operations utilize the same techniques to collect records and carry out their appropriate
disposition. There is a vacancy in the department head position and the position of records
manager are expected to be searched for in the coming year.
IPST integration
I have taken on a major role in integrating the IPST Haselton Library and Knowledge Center into
the operations of the Georgia Tech Library and Information Center. Several iterations of plans
have been designed and revised, meetings with IPST administration and personnel, and
creating and guiding GT Library work groups in determining our best integration paths forward.
Assignments for IPST Library staff within the GT Library were completed. Planning has centered
around the IPST collection and catalog, acquisitions and subscriptions work, integrating license
agreements, taking over digital initiatives, systems, PC, and other equipment, and folding in
public services. Management of IPST’s proprietary research information remains a complex
issue to delve into further.
Other Projects and Roles for the Associate Director, Digital and Technical Services:
GT Portal Project – a campus-wide project to implement the UPortal software product for
Georgia Tech. Steering committee member, library representative. After meetings with Crit
Stuart and Bruce Henson and OIT personnel, the task of integrating library services and
resources into the portal, “Buzzport,” has been charged to the GT Library Web Sites Team.
GT Library representative to the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI). Attended the Spring
2003 meeting of the Member Task Force.
Facility renovations - MAC Lab renovation (complete), Neely Lobby renovation (underway), 3rd
Floor Digital Initiatives (upcoming)
Worked extensively with the Head, Collection Development to improve decision-making flows
and workflows, particularly concerning the selection and management of electronic resources,
with the Information Procurement Dept.
Refined search processes – worked on new guidelines with Crit Stuart and Bruce Henson.
Relationship with OIT – established monthly meetings with Jim O’Connor, worked on the ETD
and OSP task forces.
Southeastern Digital Library Coalition – participating in establishing this group and defining its
purposes with colleagues from other universities in the region.
Other professional activities:
Special Libraries Association
Chair, Environment and Resource Management Division, 2002-03.
Member, Technical Standards Committee.
Member, Planning and Organization Committee, Science and Technology Section of the
Association of College and Research Libraries
Articles authored:
“Reference and Instruction Services Go Virtual as a Form of Outreach: Case Studies from
Academic Libraries,” with Clara R. Williams. Information Outlook, August 2003: 20-27.